Artist Statement

 

I have a personal, lifelong need to be creative, to lose myself in a project. Until 1987, painting was what I enjoyed most. After I began to work in clay and progress to wood and stone, I knew this was how I would pursue my art. The physical process of forming the clay and carving the wood and stone with hammer and chisel is very exciting.

 

I begin by forming an idea in a clay sketch or maquette. Once satisfied, I decide what material I want to use. With air tools or hammer and chisel, I gradually chip away the excess areas and the form begins to emerge. Often the shape or nature of the material will alter the original concept. Usually this makes a more interesting piece and is often very challenging. Time and patience are my partners. After many months, affected by whatever moods, emotions and thoughts that have passed through my arms and hands, the sculpture is complete. When the sanding and polishing reveals the patterns in the material and color it is always a tactile and visual pleasure after seeing the dust and chips for so long.

Occasionally I do bronzes, sometimes from a mold of a finished stone sculpture or maquette. “Circle of Love” is a copy of a portrait commission done for a Northern Kentucky family. It was modeled in clay and completed in bronze using the “Lost Wax Method.”

I am always influenced by nature and classical art. While I don’t try to copy nature, my work is how I express my love for it.